Devils in Armani
by justagirl8225
Summary: All is fair in love, business and coveted corner offices. [LitaxChristian, AU]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I own not

**Spoilers: **Pffft, no. A/U all the way.

**Eventual Pairings: **Lita/Christian, Trish/Edge, Victoria/Hunter, Dawn/Jericho … mentions of and appearances by many, many others.

**Summary: **All is fair in love, business and coveted corner offices.

**Notes: **If you've read _Strictly Business_, this is kind of like that story, but not entirely like that one. This one will have differences, of course.

**-x-X-x-**

_**8:30 am, New York City, NY**_

While most residents of the city were en route to work, business started early for some of the employees of Kings Inc. Adam Copeland the financial wizard, Jay Reso the renowned corporate lawyer and Chris Irvine the advertising genius. Of course, their respective business cards didn't exactly read quite like that but, that was the reputation they had garnered throughout the business world. At least on the East Coast of the country, they were the best of the best, matched only by a trio of women on the West Coast. A trio of women that they would be working with in two months when Kings Inc. and Lee Corp. officially began their merger process to form an unmatched conglomerate in the business world. For the past year it had merely been speculation and then the McMahon siblings, also the owners of the two companies, had finally set their differences aside and honoured their father's dying wish. After five years of their companies separately, Kingsley Inc. would finally be reformed and poised to reclaim its dominance. That was the general theory anyway, every employee from the blue collar office worker to the top executives in management realising full well that it could backfire. But they weren't exactly accustomed to failure and they didn't want to experience it anytime soon and with the trio of blonde men, affectionately dubbed the Devils in Armani by their rivals; they wouldn't fail.

Jay Reso checked his watch as he looked over the most recent stack of legal documents; his required cup of morning coffee was five seconds late. "Always on a Monday," the blonde man muttered under his breath. "Of all days to be late, why on a Monday…"

Chris Irvine didn't bother to knock, the double doors leading to Jay's office opened without much ado as he strode inside. "Working already?"

Jay smiled dryly, "some of us do have deadlines to meet, Irvine. Unlike you, I can't afford to sit at my desk playing Halo 3 all day."

Chris grinned, "Well I have to put that expensive internet connection to use somehow, right? And I can't help it if the peons beneath me can't work as fast as me."

Adam Copeland shook his head as he invited himself into the coveted corner office, "insulting people already? A bit too early for that, don't you think?"

Chris snorted softly, "I can't have them being compliant, because when they become compliant they get lazy. And if they get lazy—"

"I am so sorry I'm late," Allen Jones, unofficial corporate lackey to the three, practically ran into the office. "There was a new barista today and she messed up the order twice."

"Just set it over there," Jay motioned to a spot on his desk, far away from the important stack of documents. "Has the conference room been prepared yet? I have a board meeting to sit it on; some of the stock holders want to make sure that they're set once the companies merge."

Allen frowned, the cardboard carrying tray still in his hands. "Leticia said that meeting was for tomorrow."

Jay arched an eyebrow, "I have it on my calendar for today at 10:00. Leticia's information is wrong, as usual. Or she's just ignoring all of the important memos that Shane sends out. Typical," he said and then pinched the bridge of his nose, "make sure that the conference room is sufficiently prepared this time. This meeting is important."

Adam's forehead etched in confusion, "why wasn't I informed about this supposedly important meeting?"

"You were," Jay reminded him tersely, "everyone was reminded about it. The three of us need to be present for it because it's the final board meeting of Kings Inc."

Chris seated himself on the edge of Jay's pristine desk, "and did you manage to find out anything about Lee Corp.? Aside from what we know already."

Jay shook his head, "Stephanie has kept Lee Corp. under wraps since Kingsley Inc. split. From what I have seen of their public listing, they deal in beauty products and holistic health."

Adam made a face, "so you mean to tell me … Kings Inc. a company that specialises in techno gadgets, video games and athletic equipment is merging with a new age, Zen freak company?"

"They're based in California," Jay replied as if that explained everything, "apparently Linda McMahon cashed in on the market there in the late 90's and Lee Corp. has been successful ever since."

"And Lee Corp. is run by women?"

"Mostly, that is correct," Jay set aside his cup of coffee aside, "they cater to women, and they're run by women. Modern success story in a manner of speaking."

Adam nodded shortly, "so with Kings Inc. catering to the man's world, Lee Corp. catering to the women's world … it's the best of both worlds when the two companies merge again." He paused for a moment, "why did they split in the first place?"

Jay offered a slight shrug of his shoulders, "I never asked, I just deal with the legal end of it… and speaking of that, I need to get back to this paperwork."

Chris waved it off, "just do it later this week."

Adam rolled his eyes, "I'm going to guess that you already forgot that we're heading to Los Angeles this week? Big important meeting with the executives and employees of Lee Corp., remember?"

Chris rolled his eyes right back, "just because I forgot about that one meeting last year, doesn't mean I'm going to forget about all meetings. Of course I remembered, I just don't see why Mr. Slave to the Grindstone can't put off his paperwork for once. Seriously, Reso, the only time I don't see you working is when your kids are here."

Jay adjusted the framed photograph on his desk at that mention, "they really aren't kids anymore Chris, they're turning thirteen on their next birthday. And that's the other reason I want to get this paperwork taken care of now. I've already booked tickets for a Kings game when we head to California." A pause, "don't you two have work to do?"

Adam and Chris rolled their eyes in near unison, finally leaving the office so Jay could get some work done. But before he did that, he set the picture frame back down on his desk, an uncharacteristic sigh escaping as he did so. While the blonde man had claimed he didn't know much about Lee Corp. in reality, he did. For one thing he knew that the executive team in Lee Corp. was the best on the West Coast and he also knew that the corporate lawyer for Lee Corp. was one of the best in the country. That woman also happened to be the mother of his children and his ex-wife, a woman that he hadn't really spoken with since their divorce … their conversations over the past two years limited to their twin children. They had only been in their second year of college when Amy found out she was pregnant, married in a small ceremony two months before the twins were born. And it wasn't until after they'd finished law school and passed the bar exam that their marriage started to crumble. They still loved each other, they just couldn't live with each other anymore … their divorce proceeding as amiably as possible, custody split reasonably enough. And now, five years later, they would be working together … the first time he would actually see his ex-wife since the divorce was made official. And admittedly, Jay didn't have any doubts that Kingsley Inc. would be successful … it was just meant to be successful. He did doubt, however, that all employees would be able to coexist, especially if Amy was still the same as he remembered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I own not

**Spoilers: **Pffft, no. A/U all the way.

**Eventual Pairings: **Lita/Christian, Trish/Edge, Victoria/Hunter, Dawn/Jericho … mentions of and appearances by many, many others.

**Summary: **All is fair in love, business and coveted corner offices.

**Notes: **If you've read _Strictly Business_, this is kind of like that story, but not entirely like that one. This one will have differences, of course.

**-x-X-x-**

_**10:00 am, Beverly Hills, California**_

Trish Stratus made a face as she hung up the phone, thanks to another mishandling in the accounting department; she was stuck with more paperwork. As if she didn't already have enough work to do getting all of the necessary records ready for the upcoming merger … a quick glance across the spacious shared office let her know that Dawn Psaltis, advertising extraordinaire, was in a similar state of distress. Across the hallway she knew that Lisa Varon and Paul Helmsley, co-editors in chief of the company magazine, at least had things somewhat easy. After all, their department wouldn't be affected much by the merger. But, at the end of the hallway in the corner office; Amy Reso was a virtual bundle of nerves. Aside from Stephanie McMahon, owner of Lee Corp., Amy had the most work to do in preparation for the merger. And it wasn't to say that Amy's normal workload wasn't enough, but with merger date two months away; the piles of paperwork seemed to multiply daily. But the corporate lawyer worked dutifully, oftentimes staying late just so she could get through the growing stacks. Thankfully she could count on her younger brother Jeff to pick up the twins from school; Amy hesitant to call him a real baby sitter because she didn't know who was baby sitting who sometimes.

Trish pressed her lips into a thin line, wanting to unplug the phone but knowing she couldn't. "Hey Dawn … any word on when those guys from New York are arriving?"

The brunette shook her head, "not anymore than what Stephanie told us, I do know that Amy is heading to the airport with Stephanie on Wednesday to pick them up."

The financial advisor frowned, "Amy has enough to deal with … all of that paperwork that seems to magically appear each day."

Dawn rolled her eyes, "Amy volunteered to go and don't forget on Wednesday night, we all have that dinner with them. If I'm not mistaken its Stephanie's favourite place."

"You mean the 'I need to impress new clients' place or the 'I need to seal this deal' place … because, you know, there are two different places that Stephanie likes to call her favourite."

"It's the 'I need to seal this deal' place," Lisa spoke up from across the hallway, "the 'I need to impress new clients' place is for lunch." She shrugged when Trish arched an eyebrow, "I overheard Traci making the reservations, they're visiting all of Stephanie's favourite places and all of Amy's when those guys are here."

"Damn it," Amy's voice rang clearly in the hallway, "when those guys from Kings Inc. get here, I'm going to strangle their corporate lawyer and put their advertising exec on a barbeque pit."

Dawn and Trish exchanged a look, the two women soon standing near the door to Amy's office; Lisa soon joining them.

Amy ran her hands through her hair, "I asked for their records last week and I was promised that they would be here by the time they all got here for the meeting. And yet, do I see any records? Of course not."

Dawn arched an eyebrow, "I got the last campaign information just fine…"

Amy shook her head, "it's not the advertising part of it Dawn, it's the patents and whatever else they registered that I need. It all needs to get organised alongside our records for the merger. Before any of this can even become official, we have cases to go through, patents to be re-registered under Kingsley Inc., not to mention—"

Trish held up her hands, "Ames … take a deep breath and relax. If it all comes down to it, just take care of it when the guys from Kings Inc. get here, okay? Hopefully they come prepared and you won't have anything to worry about."

"If it wasn't for the fact that Adriana and I were heading to Cancun for the weekend? I wouldn't be worrying about it, but we are and I can't change those reservations now and—"

"Ames," Lisa interrupted this time around, "chill out, you're starting to give me a headache."

Trish sent her a questioning look, "why isn't Derek going with you two?"

Amy made a face, "because his father already made plans … they're going to a hockey game, I think. I can't remember and I didn't have much time to discuss details with him. Only in L.A does a simply mother/daughter weekend mean a trip to Cancun. Which is the other reason I wanted to get most of this paperwork done, Derek has a big hockey game on Thursday, Adriana has a dance recital and the damn barista got my coffee wrong."

Dawn let out a sigh, "back away from the computer Amy, it's time to take an early lunch. We're going out to eat and maybe indulge in some retail therapy. Don't argue with me because you need this."

"I have deadlines," Amy protested immediately, "a lot of deadlines and if I don't meet some of them, I'm going to have more deadlines and—"

"If you don't walk away from your desk right now, I'll have Paul do it for you." Lisa arched an eyebrow when Amy opened her mouth to argue, "come on … get up and let's go."

Sighing aloud, Amy resigned herself to her fate; the computer shut down properly before she pushed her chair back from the mahogany desk. Fifteen minutes later and the four women were seated at one of their favourite outdoor cafes for lunch.

Lisa sent the redhead a questioning look, "you said that Derek is going to a hockey game this weekend … I thought your ex husband only saw them on vacations and during the summer?"

Amy shrugged, "it's an important game apparently, so Jason wanted to take Derek this weekend. It's not like our custody agreement is absolutely set in stone."

"It seems like the two of you get along well or well enough considering you're divorced," Dawn sipped at her iced chai. "If he was around, Jason that is, would you hang out with him at all? It's not uncommon these days, divorced parents still keeping in touch."

"Highly unlikely," Amy said and then smiled wryly, "we haven't seen each other since our divorce was official. And it's worked well enough since then, why change it now?"

Trish sent her a look, "I still can't believe you made it through college and law school, pregnant and raising kids."

Amy shrugged, "it's not that uncommon Trish, some people get married young and they do the whole higher education with kids thing. And we didn't exactly plan for it to happen, but it happened. We had talked about it in high school, but that was high school."

Lisa sighed, "high school sweethearts, you two were lucky, you know … that doesn't last all the time."

"And we didn't last," the redhead pointed out dryly, "we aren't married anymore and we haven't been for five years. Not that it matters anymore, I'm in a good relationship."

Lisa, Dawn and Trish exchanged a sceptical look at that, they wouldn't exactly call Amy's long term boyfriend a saint … he was successful, no doubt about that, he was one of the top plastic surgeons in the area. But completely faithful to Amy, he was most certainly not. Wisely so, they opted not to discuss him any further; the four women instead discussing the upcoming merger with Kings Inc. before heading back to the office building.

**-x-X-x-**

_**Two days later, Los Angeles International Airport**_

Stephanie McMahon straightened the sleeves of her suit jacket, the brunette and Amy currently waiting for any signs of the four men representing Kings Inc. Stephanie hadn't seen her brother Shane since their father's funeral, but he was supposed to be with Adam, Chris and Jason today.

"Their flight information said they left La Guardia with no delays and yet, no sign of them yet."

"I'm sure everything was fine Stephanie or that one of them would have called if they were delayed at all."

Stephanie combed her fingers through her hair and then grinned, "speak of the devil and he shall appear." Pointing discreetly towards an approaching dark haired male, the brunette continued. "That's my brother," a pause, "have I mentioned that he's single?"

Amy shook her head, "I'm already seeing someone, Stephanie." And then she blinked, "this can't be happening to me."

Stephanie sent her a look of concern, "is something wrong Ames?"

The redhead forced a smile, "everything is fine … just fine." Amy pressed her lips into a thin line as the four men made their way closer, she could deal with this. She was a professional.

Shane greeted his sister first and then turned his attention to Amy, "and you must be the corporate lawyer my sister has been telling me about, I'm Shane McMahon."

Amy shook his extended hand warmly, "I'm Amy Reso."

Shane barely masked his look of surprise, "Reso you say? Are you and my corporate lawyer related?"

Amy laughed nervously, "I really hope not," she avoided Jay's piercing blue eyes, "we're divorced."

Adam blinked, "so that would explain why you look like Adriana," he extended a hand towards the redhead, "I'm Adam Copeland, financial executive."

Chris introduced himself next, "and I'm Chris Irvine, advertising executive."

Amy smiled to the two blonde men, "Amy Reso, corporate lawyer."

Stephanie extended her hand to the still silent blonde man, "I'm Stephanie McMahon."

Jay offered her a polite smile, "Jason Reso, corporate lawyer."

Shane cleared his throat, "well … now that we've all been introduced, why don't we go get our luggage and get out of here. I'm starving."

Jay waited until everyone else had gone ahead, reaching out to grasp Amy's elbow. "You kept my last name?"

Amy shrugged, "it was convenient. And besides, all of my business cards, my credit card, my personal cheques, everything. They were already printed out as Amy Reso; it would have been too much of a hassle to change them." A pause, "you cut your hair."

Jay smirked a little, "it's been five years Amy, a corporate lawyer really doesn't look professional with long hair. At least not a male corporate lawyer."

"It looks good," she replied honestly and then straightened her shoulders, "we should go catch up …. With everyone else, they're probably at baggage claim by now."

"Amy—"

"Derek has a hockey game tomorrow night and Adriana has a dance recital on Friday, it would mean the world to them if you were there, I know it. Especially Derek, it's his first game starting in goal."

Jay arched an eyebrow as they stepped onto the escalator, "are you inviting me along or are you just telling me to tell me?"

Amy rolled her eyes, "I'm letting you know about this because the kids would want you to be there. I'll give you directions after we get to the office building."

He nodded shortly, "that works fine for me … can we talk?"

"We are talking."

"I mean over dinner, just the two of us?"

The redhead paused, actually needing to think about her reply; "It all depends on what you want to talk about. This week is out of the question because of all of the work that needs to get done and this weekend Adriana and I are headed to Cancun for quality time."

Jay shrugged, "so how about when you and Stephanie visit New York next week?"

Amy bit down on her lower lip, waiting until they were on the main level before she answered him. "Jeff is coming with me for that, he's going to visit a few museums with Adriana and Derek since they have the week off."

He sent her a pointed look, "that doesn't exactly answer my question Amy."

She sighed aloud, "just let me know what time and where so I know what to pack, I don't want to overdress and I certainly don't want to under dress … reputation of Lee Corp. is at stake, after all."

"I'll get the details to you when you get to New York then," a pause before he walked towards the baggage claim, "you look good Ames."

"Thanks Jay," she nearly whispered, hazel eyes following his retreating form.

One thing was for certain, working at Kingsley Inc. was going to be interesting … even more interesting than Amy could have ever imagined. The reputed Devils in Armani, of all people in the world, and one of them just had to be her ex husband. And maybe it wouldn't be too bad working with him and maybe the apocalypse would occur tomorrow … Amy pinched the bridge of her nose as they left the airport, a headache suddenly starting to form. She really wasn't sure how this situation could get any worse, but she also couldn't shake the feeling that it would.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I own not

**Spoilers: **Pffft, no. A/U all the way.

**Eventual Pairings: **Lita/Christian, Trish/Edge, Victoria/Hunter, Dawn/Jericho … mentions of and appearances by many, many others.

**Summary: **All is fair in love, business and coveted corner offices.

**Notes: **If you've read _Strictly Business_, this is kind of like that story, but not entirely like that one. This one will have differences, of course.

**-x-X-x-**

_**9:00 am, Beverly Hills, California**_

Despite the fact that sharing offices was a common practice at Lee Corp., Amy had always been one of the fortunate to have a private office. Not only that but she had one of the few corner offices in the building, her office taking up the end of the hallway where the corporate offices were situated. The copy room, one conference room and all of the cubicles were on the floor beneath theirs while the main floor had another conference room and of course, the receptionist desk. Lee Corp. owned the building and the two on either side of it, renting out the space to similar businesses as their own or to storefronts carrying Lee Corp. products. But, that would change when the merger was finished, Stephanie having already brought up the issue of moving the headquarters to either the Bay Area or to Las Vegas. That, of course, would only happen after the merger was complete and would require a unified vote from all higher executives in the company … but that was still two months away. Today, in a sense, Amy was getting a small view into the future of how Kingsley Inc. would work; some of the employees having to share office space. And for whatever reasons or another, Stephanie and Shane had felt that it wouldn't be a big deal if their corporate lawyers shared an office; Amy entering her normally unoccupied office that morning to find Jason already seated at _her_ desk.

The blonde man arched an eyebrow, "I was unaware that the work day started at 9:00…"

Amy smiled thinly as she set her briefcase on the floor, a cardboard carrying tray in her right hand. "I had a parent teacher conference this morning." She set the coffees on the corner of her desk, "Adri and Der both made the honour roll again … it was just a discussion about the academic and athletic banquet for the spring semester." Her nose wrinkled, "I'd say make yourself comfortable but it looks like you've already done that."

Jay shrugged, "just following orders from Shane and Stephanie, they told me to find your office and set up for the day." His blue eyes drifted to the coffee cups, "how did you know—"

Amy waved it off, "it really hasn't been that long, has it? You could never function without a cup of coffee in the morning and besides that, if you don't have your coffee? You're grumpy for the rest of the day and since we have a lot of work to do? I really don't want to deal with that."

Jay took the cup from the tray, taking a tentative sip first. "Then why aren't you sitting down if we have so much work to do?"

Amy arched an eyebrow, "because you're sitting in my chair, that's why. If you could just move, we'll get started. I'm missing a stack of necessary and promised paperwork though."

He opened his briefcase, setting aside a few file folders before he found what he was looking for. "If it's not these," Jay tapped a stack of papers, "then it's in those file folders there. My secretary was the one you probably spoke with…. And she's not reliable at all."

"We'll find out, but before I take a look at those … how much progress have you made with the patents?" She walked over to one of the many filing cabinets in the office, "my legal team took care of the first half and they're working on the second half this week. All of that needs to be ready for the first meeting in D.C and—"

"I know, Amy. I have it taken care of but since I was informed that I didn't need to bring all of the paperwork with me, it's at my office in New York." Jay clasped his hands behind his head, "aren't you going to sit down?"

Amy turned slightly, "as soon as you get out of my chair, I'll sit down."

Jay mimicked her behind her back, "you're going to have to get used to sharing an office, Mrs. Reso."

"Sharing an office doesn't mean sharing a chair, Mr. Reso." Amy cursed under her breath, sliding the drawer back with a little more force than necessary. "And it would figure that I can't find the files I'm looking for when I need them."

"Want some help?" He offered as he stood, the blonde man soon standing behind her. "If you could just tell me what you're looking for, I'm sure between the two of us, we'll find it."

Amy pressed her lips into a thin line, not entirely liking the fact that he was standing so close. "If you wouldn't mind, I need to get to the other filing cabinet. You're kind of standing in my way."

Jay arched an eyebrow at her back, "all I did was offer my assistance, Amy. I don't see what the problem is."

Amy shook her head, "if we're going to work together, I think we need to establish a few rules. First and foremost, we're lawyers and co-workers, employed by a multi-million dollar company. Nothing more and nothing less, regardless of the fact that—"

"Mrs. Reso?" Traci, Amy's reliable secretary interrupted, "Dr. Cena is on line one for you, he says it's important."

Amy smiled faintly; ducking underneath one of Jay's outstretched arms and walking to her desk. "Could you please inform Dr. Cena that I'll have to call him back on my lunch hour? I have a lot of work to get done."

Jay leaned against the filing cabinet, "is he a client of Lee Corp. or something?"

"No," Amy seated herself at her desk, "you'll meet him tonight if you're still attending Derek's game … I'm surprised that Adriana or Derek hasn't mentioned him to you."

"I don't really discuss your personal life with them, Amy." Jay seated himself in a chair in front of her desk, "we have work to do, remember?" A moment of silence fell between them as he sorted through stacks of paper, "I didn't know he was a doctor."

"I thought you said that you don't discuss my personal life with the kids."

"I don't, but they do complain to me about someone named John. Your personal life isn't any of my business, my kids happiness? That is my business."

Amy cleared her throat, "fair enough then … so, that paperwork? Would you mind if I took a look at it?"

**-x-X-x-**

Despite the somewhat awkward start to their work day, Amy and Jay got quite a bit of work done. Aside from the paperwork that they had to look over and get sorted, the pair had also managed to get the patents from Lee Corp. sorted properly and prepared for the meeting in D.C. And while Amy had intended on calling John back during her lunch hour, an in-office lunch with Adam, Trish, Shane, Stephanie and Jay prevented her from doing so. Granted, the lunch was mostly informal, the six mainly discussing the upcoming merger and the hectic schedule of meetings. And it wasn't until the work day was finally over that Amy found the time to call John, only to reach his voicemail … the redhead figuring that she could just speak with him before Derek's hockey game.

Jeff jammed his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, "Ames? Shouldn't we be going inside already?"

Amy made a face, "I'm supposed to be meeting John outside."

Adriana crossed her arms, "mom? I'm hungry … and I'm thirsty. Can Uncle Jeff and I go inside now?"

Amy arched an eyebrow at her daughter, "you're supposed to be waiting for your father, Adri."

Adriana's face lit up, "is he coming to my ballet recital tomorrow?"

"Yes, honey. He hasn't had the chance to see you dance since you were little."

"I know," the pre-teen sighed, "does this mean we're spending Christmas together this year? Since you and dad work together now?"

"That all depends on John," Amy said and then sent a look to her brother. "Would you mind waiting with Adri? I'm just going check my voicemail."

Adriana grabbed her uncle's hand, "look Uncle Jeff, dad's here!"

Jeff sent his sister a look, "we'll go wait inside for you, alright?"

Amy half nodded, waving to Jay before they went inside the arena. "He had better have a damn good excuse for not showing up this time…. It's Derek's first night in goal, John knows this is important."

Jeff sent his niece a curious look, "Adri, I really don't think your mom would like it if you just gave your dad John's seat."

Adriana rolled her eyes, "it's not like he's going to show up anyway, Uncle Jeff… he missed all of Derek's soccer games and every swim meet I had this year."

"Adriana…" Jeff began in a warning tone and then shut his mouth when Amy appeared, "sis? What's wrong?"

"John won't be joining us this evening or tomorrow night because he has some important clients scheduled." Amy removed her light jacket, "did I miss anything?"

Jeff shook his head, "no … they finished warm-ups now." He squeezed his sister's shoulder affectionately, "do you want something to drink? I was gonna go get Adriana her popcorn now."

Amy shrugged, "usual for me, thanks Jeff." She smiled half heartedly then, "well at least we won't have to worry about getting an extra ticket tomorrow."

Jay cleared his throat, "I want to apologise to you … for not telling you that I worked for Kings Inc. I already knew you worked for Lee Corp., right after I got the files."

Amy waved it off, "it worked out easier without me knowing. Derek is really looking forward to the game this weekend, you know. He hasn't stopped talking about it."

Jay laughed a little, "usually we go to Rangers or Islanders games … we don't know who to cheer for though, because neither one of us like either team."

"Derek keeps bugging me about taking him to Toronto so he can see the Maple Leafs play at home," Amy mentioned with a slight smile and then shook her head. "I don't know why he thinks I like hockey."

"That's because you do or at least you did … you were there for all of the college games and my games in high school." Jay sent her a pointed look, "plus, there were the times we stuck around after the games to see if we could meet the players. And despite what you said about hockey being too dangerous for Derek to play …"

Amy rolled her eyes, "I get your point, Jason; it's just that my schedule has been so hectic."

Jay nodded easily, "trust me … I can understand that. But, maybe one of these days, all of us could go to a game?" He sent a look towards Adriana, "who's your favourite team Adri?"

Adriana grinned, "Maple Leafs of course. Mom? Can we go to a game in Toronto?"

"We'll just have to wait and see, Adriana. It all depends on how busy my schedule is and how busy your dad's schedule is." Amy smiled as the teams came back to the ice, "and there's Derek now. His stupid coach finally realised that Derek is better in goal."

"Well of course Derek is going to be great in goal," Jay smirked, "he's my son." He shrugged when Amy sent him a dubious look, "I was good babe and you know it."

"Only reason Der hasn't started in goal before is because the regular goalie is the son's coach," Adriana spoke up before her mother could retort. "And he's not even that good. Derek is tons better."

Jeff made a face as he finally re-joined them, "dang … getting popcorn, soda and cotton candy is turning into a fight for my life." He smiled sheepishly as he handed out the requested snacks and sodas, "I'm sorry Jay, I forgot to ask you."

Amy took a sip of her soda before wrinkling her nose, "I'll get it … I have to get a new soda anyways, I asked for no ice, Jeffrey."

Adriana stood before Amy could move, "Uncle Jeff and I can get it, mom. I wanted less salt on my popcorn … and besides, it's Derek's first game in goal, you said you didn't want to miss that and it's dad's first time at the game so he probably doesn't want to miss it either."

Before Amy or Jay could protest, Adriana had ushered Jeff to the aisle; Amy shaking her head as her daughter walked off. "She gets that from you, you know."

Jay shook his head, "no … she gets that from you because you used to do that all the time."

Amy arched an eyebrow, "I only did it twice … and once it was because we were going to miss a movie and the other time—"

"Was because we wanted to be alone and your brother couldn't take a hint," Jay finished and then grinned. "She gets it from you."

She rolled her eyes in reply, the two falling silent as the crowd stood for the national anthem. They remained silent as the teams were introduced; Adriana and Jeff returning in time for the opening face off. To Amy's surprise, the remainder of the game was enjoyable … Amy and Jay waiting for Derek after the game was over so they could meet Adriana and Jeff in the parking lot. And once they were all together, Derek had requested that they head to his favourite pizza place for dinner; Amy agreeing easily enough to that. Even if the work environment still held potential for disaster, at least their time out of work was going well. For now anyways, Amy unsure if things would stay that way.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I own not

**Spoilers: **Pffft, no. A/U all the way.

**Eventual Pairings: **Lita/Christian, Trish/Edge, Victoria/Hunter, Dawn/Jericho … mentions of and appearances by many, many others.

**Summary: **All is fair in love, business and coveted corner offices.

**Notes: **If you've read _Strictly Business_, this is kind of like that story, but not entirely like that one. This one will have differences, of course.

**-x-X-x-**

Despite the somewhat awkward start to the work day for everyone at Lee Corp., working alongside the four from Kings Inc. wasn't as bad as they had thought it would be. Naturally it took some compromising but all things considered, it wasn't that bad. At the very least, the work day was far more productive than usual, the crowning accomplishment being that all of the legal paperwork was set. That in turn freed up the remainder of the day for the two corporate lawyers to discuss non-work related matters like Adriana's ballet recital that evening. Amy had somewhat reluctantly given her ex-husband directions to her home; the two then agreeing to head over to the dance school together. The redheaded woman hoped beyond anything that her younger brother wouldn't forget to pick up Derek from hockey practice that afternoon. Amy had just gotten home, after making a stop at the dry cleaners to pick up Derek's suit and her dress for the night, when her brother arrived with Derek.

Jeff smiled apologetically at his older sister, "tell Adriana I'm sorry that I can't make it … I want to go, sis, believe me I do but this is my big chance."

Amy ran a hand through her hair, "I understand Jeff and good luck. I hope this art gallery doesn't let you down like the last one did." Giving her brother a hug, she stepped back inside the house. "Der, do your homework and then take a shower. Your suit is upstairs, hanging on the front of your closet."

The blonde pre-teen rolled his eyes a little, "dad's gonna be there, right?"

Amy nodded shortly, sparing a glance towards her son; a splitting image of his father. "He's going to meet us here and we'll head up to the dance school together."

With that, Derek was headed upstairs to his room, Amy heading upstairs shortly afterwards to take a shower. She had just finished drying her hair when she heard the doorbell ringing, Amy cursing her luck as she tied the belt of her bathrobe a little bit tighter.

"You're early," she said first, the redhead then stepping back so Jay could enter the house, hazel eyes taking in his appearance. "And your tie is crooked."

"I left the hotel early just in case I got lost," he explained as he followed her, blue eyes roaming freely over her form. "Would you rather I wait outside so you can get dressed?"

Amy rolled her eyes, "don't be ridiculous Jay, it won't take me that long to get dressed … and besides, Derek should be downstairs soon enough, if you'd like he can give you a tour of the house." She reached past him to close the front door, still standing in front of him. "You wear a tie to work and yet," she paused to untie the tie, "you manage to get it crooked?"

Jay arched an eyebrow, an amused smirk on his face as she fussed with his tie. "I was in a rush because I didn't want to be late. The last time I saw Adriana dance was when she first started ballet lessons, you know."

Amy nodded and then took a step back, "I know," she gestured to the living room, "do you want something to drink while you're waiting?"

Jay shook his head as he sat down on the couch, "no thank you, I'm good for now."

Amy opened her mouth to say something, only to stop short when they locked gazes; the redhead quickly excusing herself from the room. And while she was getting dressed, Derek came downstairs; the two waiting in the living room instead of taking a house tour.

Jay watched her as she descended the stairs, "that dress looks really familiar."

Amy quirked a lopsided smile, "well they always say, the little black dress never goes out of style. It's not the exact same dress, but it's pretty similar to the original one."

"You wore that for my parent's anniversary party," he spoke as if no time had passed at all, "and you had on this one pair of diamond earrings, even though you had once said you would never wear diamonds."

"I think we should get going now," she finally tore her gaze away from him, "parking can be really unpredictable in that area."

Derek sent a questioning look towards his mother, "can we visit Uncle Jeff's studio after the recital?"

Amy arched an eyebrow, waiting for the two to exit ahead of her so she could lock the door. "That all depends on how late it is, plus we have to find somewhere that's still open so we can eat. And not to mention that your father still needs to head back to the hotel at a reasonable time."

Derek blinked, "so why can't dad just stay with us tonight? We have guest rooms…"

Amy shook her head, "Derek Michael, if I didn't know any better than I would say that you and Adriana switched places overnight."

Jay tried his hardest to keep a straight face, "is Jeff still painting or has he moved on to something else?"

"Sculpting mostly, but he still paints when he gets inspired," Amy unlocked the passengers side doors, "he has a meeting tonight with one of the local galleries about a possible showing, otherwise he would be here with us."

"So can dad stay with us tonight?"

Amy gripped the steering wheel a little bit tighter than she had intended; "we'll figure it all out later, Derek. It all depends on how late the recital runs, how busy the restaurants are…" Her expression softened slightly as she caught her son's dejected look, "I know we haven't spent that much time together as a family since you two were younger but—"

"Your mom and I are really busy with work this week, kiddo."

"Fine…"

Jay exchanged a sideways look with Amy and then glanced back to his son, "if you and Adri want to plan on attending a game or something when you're in New York next week, I can get the tickets as soon as I get back."

Amy couldn't help but smile as Derek's expression instantly changed, despite how tough he wanted to seem all of the time … he was still a child. Granted, he and Adriana were going to be thirteen on their next birthday but still…

Jay coughed into his hand, "you might want to step on the gas, Ames. We've been stuck at this stop sign for the past few minutes now."

She smiled sheepishly and then eased the vehicle into the main traffic, "sorry about that … I was just thinking. I can't believe Adri and Der are going to be thirteen soon."

"Mom, don't start…"

"I'm sorry honey, but it's just hard for me to believe that you and Adri aren't climbing trees and making messes like you used to."

"Well it's like Uncle Jeff always says, it's not like you can't have more kids. You aren't an old hag or anything like that."

Jay burst out laughing, "Your brother actually called you an old hag?"

Amy smiled wryly, "after my last birthday party, yes he did. But that was only because someone questioned if I was Adriana's older sister. I'm not sure who was more embarrassed that night … me or Adri." A beat passed, "provided that traffic isn't too bad, we should be at the dance studio in fifteen minutes."

Jay nodded and then glanced out of the window, "are they putting on a full production or it just small scenes or something like that?"

"The younger students are just doing a small demonstration and Adriana's age group is putting on act three from Swan Lake—"

"Just like they do every year."

"And this year, Adriana got picked to dance the part of Odette/Odile. She's really excited about it and really nervous of course." Amy frowned suddenly, "shit … I forgot to pick up flowers for her."

Instinctively, Jay reached out a hand to rest on her arm. "Ames, calm down. We'll just stop somewhere quick. You said we already have tickets, so we don't have to worry about that and if the younger kids are dancing first, then we don't have to worry about missing Adri's performance."

Amy half shrugged as they continued towards the dance school, "well still … I had meant to pick them up after I stopped at the dry cleaners, but it completely slipped my mind."

"Mom, it's like dad just said … we can just stop at the one florist, get the flowers and Adri won't know the difference. Besides, I really don't want to sit through that entire stupid recital."

"Derek, you really shouldn't call the recital stupid."

"And you shouldn't swear in front of the children."

"It slipped and it's not like I swear in front of them all the time."

"And it's not like you don't swear in front of me and Adri, dad. Like that one time when you hit your head? Mom, you really should have heard him … he always said that he couldn't speak French but—"

"I think that's quite enough, Derek Michael."

The redhead snickered at that, Amy soon stopping the car near the florist so she could get the necessary bouquet for Adriana. Well, technically it had been Jay who had stopped into the florist; the redhead surprised when he had returned to the car with the right flowers in hand. And as predicted, they'd arrived to the dance school with some time to spare … granted, they'd had to wait until the younger students had finished their demonstration before they could go inside the auditorium; Amy, Jay and Derek finding their seats near the front.

Amy smiled proudly, "I can't believe my little girl finally gets to dance as Odette." She sniffled suddenly and then started searching through her purse…

"Here," Jay passed her a travel sized packet of Kleenex, "it'll save you the trouble."

"How did you know?" She questioned as she took the Kleenex, opening it and removing one.

"Because I know you, that's why."

She didn't reply to that, simply dabbing at the corners of her eyes as the lights in the auditorium started to dim.

"I remember when Adri started ballet lessons."

"She was pretty close to quitting them this year and swimming as well, I think all of the school work, rehearsals, practices and travelling was really starting to stress her out."

Jay opened his mouth to reply to that, only to stop short when he was shushed by an elderly woman sitting behind them. The auditorium remained silent as the act from Swan Lake began, the only glitch in the performance coming when the sound system had issues; the audience granted a temporary intermission whilst they got that all sorted out. And once the recital was over, Adriana met them backstage accepting the flowers and hugs from her family.

"Mom, can we go to the CPK tonight?"

"What's the CPK?"

Derek licked his lips in anticipation, "it's the California Pizza Kitchen, dad, seriously they have the best pizza in the world."

Amy sighed, "And other dining options for those of us who are sick of eating pizza. It's kind of like that one place we used to go to in Toronto."

Jay smirked slightly, "the one place that practically became our second home after you got pregnant because you were always craving pizza?"

"One and the same," Amy confirmed with a slight smirk of her own, "so, if we're going to go there we should get going now … especially if Derek still wants to visit Jeff tonight, assuming he's at the studio."

Adriana giggled, "Uncle Jeff practically lives at his studio, mom … but why wasn't he here tonight?"

Amy smiled, "he had a meeting with one of the local galleries about a possible show. Otherwise I'm sure he wouldn't have missed your recital for the world, sweetheart. You danced wonderfully tonight."

Adriana grinned and then grabbed her brother's arm, practically pulling her twin to the parking lot so they could leave for the California Pizza Kitchen. And as they headed towards there, Amy realised that at least one good thing would come from the company merger … the travel time for her twins would be significantly less; the redhead then remembering that once she and Stephanie returned from New York, they would be right back on the road … only this time Shane and Jay would be accompanying them so they could scout out potential locations for the new corporate offices.

"Ames?" Jay questioned as their meal started to finish, "do you want that last piece of pizza?"

"No, it's okay…" Amy reached her hand back, "you can have it, and I'm fine really. I should probably be watching my diet anyway."

Adriana snorted, "Jeeze mom, you sound like Madame Justine sometimes."

Jay arched an eyebrow, "you really don't need to worry at all Ames and between the two of us, I should be watching my diet."

Amy shook her head, "you don't have a thing to worry about, Jay." Face flushing slightly, she smiled. "Not that I've really looked or anything, just saying…"

"Still, if you want the last piece, then you can take the last piece."

"Too late," Adriana said and then gestured to her brother, "Derek, you're such a pig."

"I'm a growing boy," her twin retorted through a mouthful of pizza; Adriana rolling her eyes in reply.

Amy directed a look towards Jay, "and that, sunshine, he gets from you."

Jay grinned at her, "I won't deny that, muffin."

Adriana blinked at her parents; Derek staring at them slack jawed.

"Both of you, it's not polite to stare … and Derek, how many times have I told you not to chew with your mouth open?"

No sooner had the words left Amy's mouth did all four of them share a laugh. Granted, it had started with Amy and Jay and then quickly spread to Adriana and Derek … the four all but resembling a happy family instead of the real picture. And once they were all ready to leave, Derek and Adriana opted out on visiting their Uncle Jeff at the studio, instead requesting that they head to Santa Monica pier since it still wasn't too late and because it wasn't a school night. Despite the fact that she and Adriana did have to leave for Cancun tomorrow, Amy had agreed easily enough to the request from the twins; the day ending far from what she ever would have expected.


End file.
